Psalms 32:20
Our soul waiteth for the Lord: for he is our helper and protector.
Open Psalms 32:20 in the Motif Searcher, word by word across all five texts →Show on the spiral →The verse in its languages
- Vulgate (Clementine)
- Anima nostra sustinet Dominum, quoniam adjutor et protector noster est.
- Septuagint (Swete)
- ἡ ψυχὴ ἡμῶν ὑπομένει τῷ κυρίῳ, ὅτι βοηθὸς καὶ ὑπερασπιστὴς ἡμῶν ἐστιν·
- Hebrew (WLC) shown from Psalms 33:20
- נַ֭פְשֵׁנוּ חִכְּתָ֣ה לַֽיהוָ֑ה עֶזְרֵ֖נוּ וּמָגִנֵּ֣נוּ הֽוּא
Haydock's commentary
Waiteth. Hebrew, "longeth." (Haydock)
Protector. Hebrew, "shield." Infidels deride the confidence of the just, as an effect of pride, supposing it to be beneath the dignity of God to take notice of so small a creature, while he governs so many worlds. But if there be other worlds besides this, God is sufficient for all; (Berthier) and he will not neglect the work which his hands have deigned to form. (Haydock)
From Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary, 1859, in the transcription made by Todd Easton and kept online by John Paul Wohlschied at johnblood.gitlab.io/haydock.
The Fathers on this verse
St Augustine Expositions on the Book of Psalms, Psalm XXXIII
20. “My soul shall be patient for the Lord:” that hereafter it may be filled with dainties incorruptible, meanwhile, whilst here it remaineth, my soul shall be patient for the Lord. “For He is our Helper and Defender” ( ver. 20 ): our Helper He is, while we endeavour after Him; and our Defender, while we resist the adversary.
St Gregory the Great The Book of Pastoral Rule, How the whole and the sick are to be admonished
But, on the other hand, the sick are to be admonished that they feel themselves to be sons of God in that the scourge of discipline chastises them. For, unless He purposed to give them an inheritance after correction, He would not have a care to educate them by afflictions. For hence the Lord says to John by the angel, Whom I love I rebuke and chasten ( Rev. iii. 19; Prov. iii. 11 ). Hence again it is written, My son despise not thou the discipline of the Lord , nor faint when thou art rebuked of Him. For whom the Lord loveth He chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom He receiveth ( Heb. xii. 5, 6 ). Hence the Psalmist says, Many are the tribulations of the righteous, and out of all these hath the Lord delivered them ( Ps. xxxiii. 20 ). …